TiMOTION is a vertically-integrated, electric linear actuator and control system manufacturer with the ability to customize products to meet specifications. The four main feedback/positioning sensors that TiMOTION uses within its linear actuators are:
Hall Effect sensors are TiMOTION’s most recommended type of positional sensors for electric actuators because they are small enough to fit in compact spaces, providing higher resolution and digital output for positioning and synchronization.
Potentiometers, also known as POT sensors, are generally the most commonly used output sensor in the industrial marketplace. They have a wiper contact linked to a mechanical shaft that can either be rotational or linear in their movement.
Reed sensors are magnetic feedback sensors. There is an electrical switch which is operated by an applied magnetic field, and the sensor as a whole contains a pair of contacts on ferrous metal reeds in a hermetically sealed glass envelope.
Optical sensors are also occasionally used in TiMOTION’s electric actuators. An optical sensor functions by converting light into an electronic signal. As a lead screw rotates, a light blocking wheel will also rotate at the same time, blocking the light to the optical coupler.
Overall, the process of choosing the right electric linear actuation system for any application is one that must be carefully researched prior to purchasing.
